Extending Producer Responsibility Beyond End-of-Life Collection

BehaviourWorks research shows that while many consumers are eager to engage in circular behaviours, their adoption is strongly dependent on the actions of producers and suppliers. Producer responsibility across the entire product lifecycle is crucial for driving the system change needed to achieve a circular economy in Australia. In particular, three key actions are needed:

Building Products to Last – Designing, manufacturing (or importing), and selling durable products is the most transformative opportunity identified in our analysis of Australia’s circular system. When products are built to last—functionally, materially, aesthetically, and emotionally—they not only support responsible consumption but also underpin impactful business models such as product-as-a-service, leasing, and take-back schemes. Durability naturally encourages consumer behaviours like keeping products in use, repairing rather than replacing, and passing on instead of disposing.

Incorporating Reuse and Repair – Expanding producer responsibility beyond Australia’s current end-of-life, third-party collection model is essential. Integrating reuse and repair into stewardship means shifting from a focus solely on recycling to ensuring products are designed for longevity and extended use. This approach not only maximises resource productivity and waste prevention but also stimulates design improvements that facilitate durability, reusability and repairability.

Take-Back Schemes – Buy-back and take-back schemes by producers (and retailers) are also critical in transforming our systems of production and consumption. By retrieving unwanted or unserviceable products at end-of-use, producers and retailers can not only divert waste from landfills but encouraging better design, reuse/resale, repair and dis/reassembly. It can also encourage waste collection services to retrieve returnable products from waste streams, and for charity stores to “pass back” donated items that are unsellable.

Ensuring producer responsibility accelerates circular economy in Australia requires a clear focus on durability, considering reuse and repair not just recycling, and establishing effective take-back systems. These actions are pivotal in the needed transformation.

Jennifer Macklin (Downes)
Senior Research Fellow
BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University